Material handlers

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a portable Material Handler for use in lifting and carrying about small boxes or crates which are filled with extremely heavy materials utilizing a pair of remotely controlled tongs mounted on a portable lift cart, pivotally mounted on the cart for forward and backward swinging movement thereon.

limited Statee Patent Elrowit 1 li eh, 29, 119 72 154] li'il/t'llEli llIAllL HANDLERS [221} App]. No; 541,962

[52] 111.8. (131.... M t/3'77 [51] 11m. 121 maze 11/06 [58] Field olfienreli ..214/377,378, 379; 294/97, 294/ 106, 115

[56] meter-emcee Cited! UNlTElD STATES PATENTS 609,985 8/1898 Cather ..214/379 2,665,018 1/1954 Salsas ..214/377 X 1,255,070 1/1918 Waller ..2l4/377 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPMCATKONS 89,539 5/1967 France "21 1/37? Primary Examiner-Albert J. Maliay An0rney.1osep1n A. lFenlon, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a portable Material Handler for use in lifting and carrying about small boxes or crates which are filled with extremely heavy materials utilizing a pair of remotely controlled tongs mounted on a portable lift cart, pivotally mounted on the cart for forward and backward swinging movement thereon.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures N W O ILEdSfilZ FIG. 5

I'FIG.

PATENTEUFEB 29 I972 BWVEINITOW LOWELL N.

FIG. 2

WWW

MATERIAL HANDLERS it is the object of this invention to provide a Material Handler for moving freely about small objects of substantial weight without requiring the exertion of normal lifting energy and the accompanying back strain in transporting said boxes.

With the above and other objects in view, which will become immediately apparent upon reading the Specifications, my invention resides in the unique and novel form, arrangement, construction and combination of parts shown in the drawings, explained in the specifications, and claimed in the claims.

IN THE DRAWINGS PM]. i is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 3-- 3 of HG. ll.

FIG. il is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 3-4 of F116. 2.

P16. 5 is a perspective view of the carton to be lifted by my invention.

Referring now in more detail in my reference character to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention A designates a Material Handler comprising a pair of spaced elongated uprights it], 12 held in spaced separation by a cross brace M and a pair of complementary forwardly extending, intersecting braces 16 and 18, all of which are preferably though not necessarily welded to each other at their common edges at the forward end 20, the forwardly extending braces 16, 1b, and are provided with a common bore 22.

Pivotally and rotatably attached to the forwardly extending members in and 18 at their forward end 20 is a pair of complementary tonglike elements 24, 26, which are provided at their upper end with a pair of complementary diverging arms, 28, 3b, and at their lower end with a pair of inwardly projecting fingers 32, 34.

The tonglike members 24, 26 are secured to the forward end 2 1) of the members l6, 18, by a bolt 36, and a retaining nut 3b, which holds the members 24', 26 loosely in place about the end 2d so the tongs may be rotated about the axis of the bolt 36 and may simultaneously be pivoted inwardly and outwardly with respect to each other parallel to the axis of the bolt 36, all for purposes more fully to appear. The upwardly diverging member 3t) is provided with a second bore 49 through which is inserted the slide wire 42 which is conventionally mounted within a sleeve a4 and which is adapted to move within the sleeve M upon manipulation of a handle as which is clamped to the upper end of the upright 12. The wire 42 is secured to the member 28 and the sleeve M is secured to the member 30. in the conventional manner upward movement of the handle as pulls the wire 42 into the sleeve 44 and causes the upwardly diverging members 28, 30 to be urged towards each other. Conversely downward movement of the handle 46 causes the outwardly diverging elements 28, 39 to be urged away from each other. The lower end of the uprights Ml, 22 are each provided with wheels s38, 50 respectively, which are rotatively mounted at the lower end of their respective uprights lltll, 112, for rotation about a common axis.

The invention is designed to permit free movement of a small carton C (shown in phantom) which contains a collection of very heavy material and which is difficult for an individual to move without assistance. The carton C is preferably provided with finger slots which would ordinarily assist a person required to lift the carton manuaily. in use, the operator merely moves the handler A into position adjacent to carton C, raises the handle dd which causes the upwardly diverging elements 28, Bil to be urged together and the in wardly projecting fingers 32, lid to be urged apart, and while the handle 46 is in this position, aligning the fingers 32 and 34 with the finger slits 52, 5% respectively in the sides of the carton C. When in this osition, the handle as is moved downwardly urging the e ements 28, 30 apart and causing the jecting members 116 and w to be moved upwardly while the tonglike elements 24, 2d are holding the carton firmly between the fingers 32, Bi l, thereby using the leverage of the uprights 110, 112 to lift the carton C. in this position the operator may then transport the carton in a fashion similar to that of a handtruclr without requiring him to bend his back or to exert any unnecessary strain on his back in the lifting of the carton. When the carton arrives at the destination it may be released by moving the upper ends of the elements of the members lb, 112 forward which places the carton C back on the floor and thereafter by moving the handle 46 in the opposite direction, which urges the upwardly diverging ends 28, 3d of the etements 24, 26 together and cauws the fingers 32, 34! to be urged apart out of engagement with the slits 52, 545.

This invention has shown to be particularly useful in moving cartons of heavy machine parts which weigh often as much as 200 to 250 pounds from a loading dock onto a truck and from the truck back onto a loading doclc, particularly where the carton itself was too small to justify the use of a conventional handtruck requiring a load having substantial height and bulk, The free swinging pivotal movement of the tonglike members 24, 26 about the axis of the bolt 36 permits the tonglilce elements 24, 2b always to remain in a vertical position with respect to the carton C during movement thereof and virtually eliminates the possibility of the fingers 32, 34 slipping outwardly due to gravitational stresses which would have been in existence had the tongs not been free to pivot about the bolt 36.

it should be understood that changes, alterations and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, combination of various parts of my invention herein shown may be made and substituted without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described by invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is recited in the specifications, shown in the drawings and claimed in the claims.

l. A material handler comprising a pair of uprights held in spaced separation from each other by a cross brace,

tong support means including a pair of converging support members secured to the uprights and projecting forwardly outwardly therefrom,

a pair of tongs pivotally and rotatably attached to the support members at the point of convergence and depending downwardly therefrom, each tong including an inwardly presented gripping means at its lower end and an upper end which diverges from the other tong,

manually operated means for selectively moving the gripping means of each tong together and apart, said manually operated means including a slide wire in a sleeve, a handle mounted on one upright and being at tached to one end of the slide wire, said handle and sleeve being adapted for causing the slide wire to move within the sleeve upon movement of the handle with respect to the upright,

the diverging end of one tong being attached to the other end of the slide wire, and the diverging end of the other tong being attached to the other end of the sleeve, whereby when the handle is moved the tongs are moved correspondingly,

and wheeled means for pivoting and moving the uprights when a load is being held by the tongs. 

1. A material handler comprising a pair of uprights held in spaced separation from each other by a cross brace, tong support means including a pair of converging support members secured to the uprights and projecting forwardly outwardly therefrom, a pair of tongs pivotally and rotatably attached to the support members at the point of convergence and depending downwardly therefrom, each tong including an inwardly presented gripping means at its lower end and an upper end which diverges from the other tong, manually operated means for selectively moving the gripping means of each tong together and apart, said manually operated means including a slide wire in a sleeve, a handle mounted on one upright and being attached to one end of the slide wire, said handle and sleeve being adapted for causing the slide wire to move within the sleeve upon movement of the handle with respect to the upright, the divergIng end of one tong being attached to the other end of the slide wire, and the diverging end of the other tong being attached to the other end of the sleeve, whereby when the handle is moved the tongs are moved correspondingly, and wheeled means for pivoting and moving the uprights when a load is being held by the tongs. 